Comments on: Four Lessons From Twitter’s Spam/Customer-Busting Episode http://davefleet.com/2008/08/four-lessons-from-twitters-spamcustomer-busting-episode/ Exploring the intersection of communications, marketing and social media Wed, 23 May 2012 09:47:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: PR Cliches (and Other PR Blog Jots) « Media Bullseye – A New Media and Communications Magazine http://davefleet.com/2008/08/four-lessons-from-twitters-spamcustomer-busting-episode/comment-page-1/#comment-81455 PR Cliches (and Other PR Blog Jots) « Media Bullseye – A New Media and Communications Magazine Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:56:12 +0000 http://davefleet.com/2008/08/four-lessons-from-twitters-spamcustomer-busting-episode/#comment-81455 [...] why Internal Comms should stay a separate and equally senior part of the management team.” Learning from Disaster Dave Fleet I know, I know, more complaining about Twitter. At least this one takes the usual [...] [...] why Internal Comms should stay a separate and equally senior part of the management team.” Learning from Disaster Dave Fleet I know, I know, more complaining about Twitter. At least this one takes the usual [...]

]]> By: David Fisher http://davefleet.com/2008/08/four-lessons-from-twitters-spamcustomer-busting-episode/comment-page-1/#comment-14547 David Fisher Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:18:48 +0000 http://davefleet.com/2008/08/four-lessons-from-twitters-spamcustomer-busting-episode/#comment-14547 Thanks for noticing and having this great writeup of what happened. I think the main less is fast response, which I know is difficult. I didn't realize that at the time Twitter was only 16 employees. For some reason I figured that in raising 15M that they'd hired a bit more. I'm glad that they fixed the problems, but it was a disturbing 24 hours. I felt as if my voice on the internet was taken away. Thanks for noticing and having this great writeup of what happened. I think the main less is fast response, which I know is difficult. I didn’t realize that at the time Twitter was only 16 employees. For some reason I figured that in raising 15M that they’d hired a bit more.

I’m glad that they fixed the problems, but it was a disturbing 24 hours. I felt as if my voice on the internet was taken away.

]]> By: PF Anderson http://davefleet.com/2008/08/four-lessons-from-twitters-spamcustomer-busting-episode/comment-page-1/#comment-5408 PF Anderson Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:33:47 +0000 http://davefleet.com/2008/08/four-lessons-from-twitters-spamcustomer-busting-episode/#comment-5408 Connie is so on target mentioning the impact on the followers. You also have to remember that to get a response we used other social networks, beyond Twitter, and there is a broader public watching. Most important in my mind is the possibility of there being other victims who have not yet discovered the problem, have not realized that it isn't a temporary fluke (which is what I thought for the first several hours) or who don't know how to report it. As I said on the GetSatistfaction page: "So far most of the people who have found this page are fairly high-end Twitter users, savvy folk who know their way around troubleshooting. I am concerned that there may be effected users who are not so savvy, may not know how to get help, may not realize the scope of the problem, or may not have even thought to check their accounts yet. It would be nice if Twitter looked out for any other as-yet-undiscovered victims of this problem and took a proactive role in communicating with their community, creating a variety of communication paths to the necessary support information." Connie is so on target mentioning the impact on the followers. You also have to remember that to get a response we used other social networks, beyond Twitter, and there is a broader public watching. Most important in my mind is the possibility of there being other victims who have not yet discovered the problem, have not realized that it isn’t a temporary fluke (which is what I thought for the first several hours) or who don’t know how to report it.

As I said on the GetSatistfaction page: “So far most of the people who have found this page are fairly high-end Twitter users, savvy folk who know their way around troubleshooting. I am concerned that there may be effected users who are not so savvy, may not know how to get help, may not realize the scope of the problem, or may not have even thought to check their accounts yet. It would be nice if Twitter looked out for any other as-yet-undiscovered victims of this problem and took a proactive role in communicating with their community, creating a variety of communication paths to the necessary support information.”

]]> By: Connie Crosby http://davefleet.com/2008/08/four-lessons-from-twitters-spamcustomer-busting-episode/comment-page-1/#comment-5282 Connie Crosby Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:06:25 +0000 http://davefleet.com/2008/08/four-lessons-from-twitters-spamcustomer-busting-episode/#comment-5282 LOL! I wasn't challenging you. I have just been thinking a lot about it since we last talked. I agree if only 8 people are affected it might not be a good move to blog it. But, all 8 of us had 1500+ followers, many of whom expressed concern about the situation. Many of my followers were far more concerned about it than I was, and they needed some comfort from Twitter, too. There was no real way to quietly fix things in this case I think. LOL! I wasn’t challenging you. I have just been thinking a lot about it since we last talked. I agree if only 8 people are affected it might not be a good move to blog it. But, all 8 of us had 1500+ followers, many of whom expressed concern about the situation. Many of my followers were far more concerned about it than I was, and they needed some comfort from Twitter, too. There was no real way to quietly fix things in this case I think.

]]> By: Eden Spodek http://davefleet.com/2008/08/four-lessons-from-twitters-spamcustomer-busting-episode/comment-page-1/#comment-5281 Eden Spodek Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:01:01 +0000 http://davefleet.com/2008/08/four-lessons-from-twitters-spamcustomer-busting-episode/#comment-5281 I'm not defending twitter in their decision about whether or not to blog about the problem but sometimes you have to make a judgement call. If only 8 people were affected that's a tiny percentage of the total number of customers. Addressing the entire customer base may not be the right approach as it may have made a mountain out of a mole hill. We discussed this on our upcoming podcast and you didn't challenge me on that comment. ;-) I’m not defending twitter in their decision about whether or not to blog about the problem but sometimes you have to make a judgement call. If only 8 people were affected that’s a tiny percentage of the total number of customers. Addressing the entire customer base may not be the right approach as it may have made a mountain out of a mole hill.

We discussed this on our upcoming podcast and you didn’t challenge me on that comment. ;-)

]]> By: Connie Crosby http://davefleet.com/2008/08/four-lessons-from-twitters-spamcustomer-busting-episode/comment-page-1/#comment-5279 Connie Crosby Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:33:40 +0000 http://davefleet.com/2008/08/four-lessons-from-twitters-spamcustomer-busting-episode/#comment-5279 Why I think the blog should have been used in this case: On the Twitter blog I was actively participating in their discussion about efforts being taken to clean up spam. They should have mentioned there that they were deleting suspected spam accounts. @biz tweeted that they had made mistake, why not post that in the blog? After all, if I can't get into my account and if I am not following @biz (I didn't know he existed before this!) how would I see this tweet? http://twitter.com/biz/statuses/875773303 Eventually I discovered the discussion in the "Get Satisfaction" forum. Again, I had to hunt for that. The blog would have been a more central place to communicate with those of us with problems. They keep saying 8 of us had the problem. How do we know there weren't more? I am concerned there are others out there who just gave up, not knowing they were deactivated accidentally. Maybe they have been off-line all weekend? Finally, I have a lot of followers who expressed concern that they were not seeing enough evidence of Twitter communicating with me. They were concerned not just about me, but about their own accounts and especially about advocating the use of Twitter for others. They could also have benefitted from seeing communication on the blog. Ultimately, I think it is good Twitter is working to clean out spam accounts. I wish they had sent each of us an email message telling us the accounts had been deleted and why. Then we would have had better recourse from the beginning. Why I think the blog should have been used in this case:

On the Twitter blog I was actively participating in their discussion about efforts being taken to clean up spam. They should have mentioned there that they were deleting suspected spam accounts. @biz tweeted that they had made mistake, why not post that in the blog? After all, if I can’t get into my account and if I am not following @biz (I didn’t know he existed before this!) how would I see this tweet? http://twitter.com/biz/statuses/875773303

Eventually I discovered the discussion in the “Get Satisfaction” forum. Again, I had to hunt for that. The blog would have been a more central place to communicate with those of us with problems.

They keep saying 8 of us had the problem. How do we know there weren’t more? I am concerned there are others out there who just gave up, not knowing they were deactivated accidentally. Maybe they have been off-line all weekend?

Finally, I have a lot of followers who expressed concern that they were not seeing enough evidence of Twitter communicating with me. They were concerned not just about me, but about their own accounts and especially about advocating the use of Twitter for others. They could also have benefitted from seeing communication on the blog.

Ultimately, I think it is good Twitter is working to clean out spam accounts. I wish they had sent each of us an email message telling us the accounts had been deleted and why. Then we would have had better recourse from the beginning.

]]> By: Eden Spodek http://davefleet.com/2008/08/four-lessons-from-twitters-spamcustomer-busting-episode/comment-page-1/#comment-5278 Eden Spodek Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:22:22 +0000 http://davefleet.com/2008/08/four-lessons-from-twitters-spamcustomer-busting-episode/#comment-5278 I'm also friends with Connie Crosby and Dave Delaney. They are two of the last people I'd ever expect to be accused of twitter spamming. I agree, twitter could have done a better job of communicating with the eight individuals involved. I'm not sure twitter needed to announce the problem on their blog as some people suggested but they could have have done a better job of contacting the eight individuals. As for the role of a PR professional on the twitter team, I couldn't agree with you more. I'm seeing more examples every day where the need for public relations professionals, especially those with an understanding of digital communications, has grown. I’m also friends with Connie Crosby and Dave Delaney. They are two of the last people I’d ever expect to be accused of twitter spamming.

I agree, twitter could have done a better job of communicating with the eight individuals involved. I’m not sure twitter needed to announce the problem on their blog as some people suggested but they could have have done a better job of contacting the eight individuals.

As for the role of a PR professional on the twitter team, I couldn’t agree with you more. I’m seeing more examples every day where the need for public relations professionals, especially those with an understanding of digital communications, has grown.

]]> By: Connie Crosby http://davefleet.com/2008/08/four-lessons-from-twitters-spamcustomer-busting-episode/comment-page-1/#comment-5274 Connie Crosby Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:13:59 +0000 http://davefleet.com/2008/08/four-lessons-from-twitters-spamcustomer-busting-episode/#comment-5274 Hi Dave: You make a good point, that a PR specialist would have known better how to handle this. Crystal from Twitter has now been in more personal contact with me and Dave Delaney. And Jason Goldman has been stellar in trouble-shooting in the help forum. Took them a while to figure out how to deal with us, but I think they have learned albeit the hard way! I have posted my take on the whole thing over on my blog: "Connie Crosby's Day Off, Or How Twitter Decided We Needed a Break" http://tinyurl.com/5hrznx Enjoy! Connie Hi Dave:

You make a good point, that a PR specialist would have known better how to handle this. Crystal from Twitter has now been in more personal contact with me and Dave Delaney. And Jason Goldman has been stellar in trouble-shooting in the help forum. Took them a while to figure out how to deal with us, but I think they have learned albeit the hard way!

I have posted my take on the whole thing over on my blog: “Connie Crosby’s Day Off, Or How Twitter Decided We Needed a Break” http://tinyurl.com/5hrznx

Enjoy!
Connie

]]> By: Amrita Chandra http://davefleet.com/2008/08/four-lessons-from-twitters-spamcustomer-busting-episode/comment-page-1/#comment-5273 Amrita Chandra Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:12:53 +0000 http://davefleet.com/2008/08/four-lessons-from-twitters-spamcustomer-busting-episode/#comment-5273 Good synopsis of lessons learned. The personalization one in particular is something that seems so simple but is often overlooked. There is no worse feeling that thinking your email/Tweet/inquiry to a company has gone into a black hole which is what you feel when you get a cut and paste response. The Twitter situation can happen at any company, to different degrees. Nice reminder of how to make the best of a bad situation when it is happening to you. Good synopsis of lessons learned. The personalization one in particular is something that seems so simple but is often overlooked. There is no worse feeling that thinking your email/Tweet/inquiry to a company has gone into a black hole which is what you feel when you get a cut and paste response.

The Twitter situation can happen at any company, to different degrees. Nice reminder of how to make the best of a bad situation when it is happening to you.

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